Presented by BetterHelp
Borderline Personality Disorder is a personality disorder classified by a collection of different characteristics. A key characteristic is consistent instability in different aspects of life, such as mood, relationships, and self-image. Untreated Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest in and have devastating effects on one’s life due to self destructive behaviors, unstable relationships, and uncertainty in self. Thankfully, there is an array of treatment options for BPD.
Below are seven signs that someone may be struggling with borderline personality disorder. If you believe that you or a loved one are exhibiting worrying symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, it’s best to bring your concerns to a licensed mental health professional who can provide the appropriate diagnosis and care.
Table of Contents
1. Self Destructive Behavior
People dealing with Borderline Personality Disorder may engage in self destructive behaviors as a result of their disorder. This may manifest in impulsive and dangerous actions such as reckless spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, and poor eating. As well, this can also manifest as self harm. Please note that if you or a loved one is thinking about or talking about harming themselves, please reach out to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 at any time of the day or night.
2. Unstable Relationships
Another issue people with Borderline Personality Disorder may deal with is in maintaining healthy relationships. With BPD, relationships can be detrimentally intense and unstable. Dynamics may be chaotic and harmful to all parties involved. While most people don’t always have perfect relationships with their friends, families, and loved ones all the time, Borderline Personality Disorder can make relationship management profoundly difficult and overall extreme. These relationship issues can be caused or conflated by a fear of an effort to avoid abandonment and rejection.
3. Poor, Uncertain Sense of Self
Perception of self can be a big part of Borderline Personality Disorder. With BPD, one’s sense of self can change at a break-neck speed. Someone with BPD may feel happy and satisfied with themselves at one point and feel intense self hate shortly after. This can also contribute to problems in relationships. As well, the changed sense of self may be reflected in goals, behaviors, and values.
4.Unstable Moods
Similar to their sense of self, someone with Borderline Personality Disorder may also experience rapid, unstable changes in moods. These intense mood swings can occur in episodes whose duration can range from hours to days. These quickly changing moods can contribute to unstable relationships and emotional pain as well.
Causes of Borderline Personality Disorder
- Family History – Borderline Personality Disorder can be developed as a result of genetic factors, especially in people with close family members diagnosed with BPD.
- Brain Function – Although it is not one hundred percent clear whether or not these changes cause or are caused by Borderline Personality Disorder, research has shown that those with BPD do display changes in brain structure and function, notably in areas controlling impulse and emotions.
- Outside Factors – Often, people who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder report having experienced some kind of traumatic event in their life such as abuse or abandonment in childhood while others may have experienced their traumatic experiences in their adult relationships and events.
How Borderline Personality Disorder Can Be Treated
There are a few different treatment options for Borderline Personality Disorder, although this article is for educational purposes only, and one should never begin or stop using a medication without the supervision of a licensed medical professional. Below are some of the ways BPD may be treated.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy For Borderline Personality Disorder – DBT combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy methods with mindfulness practices to teach individuals skills to manage their emotions, to develop healthy coping mechanisms, and how to practice mindfulness skills such as distress tolerance.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT can be used to help people with BPD identify behaviors that stem from problematic interactions with and perceptions of others as well as help treat mood swings.
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